Most small children have a large variety and number of toys with which they can play for entertainment and/or educational purposes. These toys are typically kept in the child's room, and are usually put away in a toy chest when the child is through playing with them. Conventional toy chests generally comprise nothing more than a box or receptacle with an open top that may or may not have a lid. Such conventional toy chests usually do not conform to the decor of the child's room and may even be unsightly if left on display in the room. Consequently, many parents place the toy chest in a closet or the like where it remains out of sight. Moreover, most parents can attest to the difficulty of persuading their child or children to put their toys away when they are through playing with them.
Conventional toy chests as described above do not have any value as a toy nor do they provide any educational benefit to the child.
Thus, there is need for a storage container or chest for storing toys and the like, which is also capable of functioning, itself, as an entertaining and educational toy. By selecting appropriate graphics and accessory components, the combined storage chest and toy can be made to fit the decor of almost any child's room. The toy chest of the invention comprises a fun, interesting and educational addition to the room, and can induce the child to put toys away without undue coaxing from the parent.